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Malware/anti virus with least performance impacts?

N

nph

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 9, 2005
1,054
216
I have tried Sophos home and Avast and both reduce battery time quite noticeable. Malware Free is fine but if I want something more encompassing what would you suggest?
Is there even a malware/antivirus program that is not impacting performance/battery life or is that to be expected?
Sophos home even screwed up charging so I had to restart my new M1 MBP for it to start working again. Scrapped it right away after that since while i had it installed i could actually feel my M1 getting hot underneath for the first time ever! Hardly anything else running!

I know, I know everyone says Mac's don't have malware/virus but we might be heading that way based on what i am seeing so I want to explore my options by tapping into the knowledge in this forum
 
I dont use any, just follow few basic rules and tou are without problem.

Avoid cracked aplications
Before installing aplication from web, do a study first.
Dont click on every link in emails etc
Dont visit suspect websites

etc

lot of folks praise Malwarebytes free
 
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Malwarebytes. Even apple used it, they recommended it to me! Malwarebytes is the way to go. Or at least that what it said on the Apple Support Communities.
 
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Yup. Get the free version of Malwarebytes (no active monitoring) and run it once a month or so. You don't really need to worry about viruses on Macs and adware is easy enough to avoid with a little bit of thought.
 
Malware-bytes is therapeutic. Run it and very unlikely anything shows up. But piece of mind has value.

I've mentioned before, I've owned Macs since 1984, the first. Never used a Mac Virus checker program. I've used Windows since 3.1. Always used a virus checker program. Viruses on a Windows PC are built in features.
 
There has never been a "Mac virus" discovered "in the wild" since the advent of OS X back around 2002 or so.

As mentioned above, just use MalwareBytes now and then.
Download MalwareBytes and run it:
www.malwarebytes.com

Official Site | Malwarebytes: Antivirus, Anti-Malware & Privacy

Malwarebytes offers advanced antivirus, anti-malware, privacy and scam protection for all your devices. Protect your digital life today.
www.malwarebytes.com

IMPORTANT:
Select the "home" option.
It's a FREE download

IMPORTANT:
You DO NOT NEED TO BUY A SUBSCRIPTION to run MalwareBytes.
It will run FOREVER IN FREE MODE.
When you open it, IGNORE the button to "Upgrade Now" or "Activate License".
Just click "Scan".
Again, you DO NOT have to buy the pay-for version!

You CAN pay to register it if you wish.
Do this, and it will offer malware scanning/protection "in real time", continuously.
The "free version" only runs when you manually launch it.
 
Bitdefender free from the Apple Mac Store, all you need really. Just run an on demand scan as you see fit. Only runs when you need it too so zero impact on and with the OS. Suspicious files you can always upload to Virus Total for verification with 70+ AV engines.

Q-6
 
Post # 2 is how I run.

If MalwareBytes is not running -active monitoring- than what is the point, just short of piece of mind on the manual scans ?

I've been thinking/revisiting this myself and considering MB subscription to run on my Mac. Wondering what the overhead is on power drain when on battery, etc.....def. have it on my XPS PC. Thinking about the OSX platform
 
I personally use Norton on my MacBook Air as well and haven't noticed anything bad. I haven't even gotten any virus, but Norton has "blocked"(?) some attacks on suspicious websites.
Why I use Norton? I got a free subscription for a year, I think. It'll expire in October and then I won't use anything anymore :)
 
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